Walking Stick

ABSTRACT

A mobility aid, in the form of a walking stick, can be used in various configurations. The walking stick can have a grip on an upper end thereof, a foot on a lower end thereof, a wrist strap near the grip, and a height adjustment feature to permit height adjustment of the walking stick. The height adjustment feature can take forms, such as a twist-lock, a pin and hole adjustment, telescoping members, and the like. The foot may include a water treading design to help prevent slippage of the foot on a wet surface.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention

Embodiments of the invention relates generally to mobility aids. More particularly, the invention relates to an improved walking stick design.

2. Description of Prior Art and Related Information

The following background information may present examples of specific aspects of the prior art (e.g., without limitation, approaches, facts, or common wisdom) that, while expected to be helpful to further educate the reader as to additional aspects of the prior art, is not to be construed as limiting the present invention, or any embodiments thereof, to anything stated or implied therein or inferred thereupon.

For all the extraordinary technological advances made in medical devices over the past half century, crutches (including axilla and forearm styles), canes, walking sticks, substitute crutches and leg/foot prosthesis and walkers have fallen dangerously behind. The basic design of standard crutches, canes and walkers hasn't changed for decades, going back to when the first medical advice given to new patients was “take it easy and go slow.” Unstable, uncomfortable, inflexible and unattractive at best, their design actually impedes a user's return to max-mobility potential. Conventional mobility aid design also contributes to something most mobility device designers don't think about—the loss of dignity the user feels at having to rely on these archaic devices in the first place.

First, conventional mobility aids uncomfortable and fatiguing. This not only limits the time a patient is able to use them but also puts stress on the hands, wrists, forearms, neck and back, which can lead to upper back ailments and other physical disorders, such as rotator cuff tears.

Second, because they so poorly conform to the body's natural physiology, they're awkward to maneuver and thus inherently unstable. This especially applies to children where the majority of hospitals prescribe walkers instead of crutches to kids under age eleven because of this instability. Adolescents, the elderly, the overweight, the out-of-shape and/or those who have been prescribed painkillers or other medications are also affected—which covers just about all of us. The result is often a loss of balance and an awkward, nasty fall that can reinjure the patient or cause new trauma to the head, wrists, ankles and other areas of the body.

These devices have for years been associated with discomfort and instability. What hasn't been addressed up to now is their basic inflexible, “static” nature. That is, they've been designed to accommodate a patient at his/her initial (and therefore worst) point of pain and discomfort; they aren't designed to “adjust” as the user heals and desires greater mobility. This disadvantage actually retards the recovery of the user who's capable of moving more freely than the device will accommodate.

A user walking with crutches will take a minimum of 2,400 steps, with children taking closer to 3,000. The jarring staccato of each of these steps reverberating wave after wave of pain through though the crutches, further causes discomfort to the entire body however specifically irritates the hands, wrists, elbows, shoulder joints and upper back. These inadequacies no nothing to enhance healing and lead to accelerated fatigue.

Not to be overlooked, these stark, Spartan-like devices, which put users in slumped over, clumsy-looking positions, almost seem purposely designed to make the user feel self-conscious and even stigmatized. Nothing about how they look—nor how they make the tottering user look when trying to stay upright—lends dignity to the patient.

Over recent years, however, medical professionals have learned that the key to rapid recovery from surgery, injury or any incident impacting mobility is to get patients up and walking as naturally as their pain will allow, as quickly as possible. Put it all together and medical professionals who must prescribe the use of these particular mobility aids actually find themselves unintentionally violating their sacred oath to “do no harm.”

In view of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved mobility aid device that addresses various design flaws found in conventional mobility aids.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Embodiments of the present invention provide mobility aids, namely, improved walking sticks, as discussed in greater detail below.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following drawings, description and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Some embodiments of the present invention are illustrated as an example and are not limited by the figures of the accompanying drawings, in which like references may indicate similar elements.

FIG. 1 illustrates a side view of a walking stick according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 illustrates a back view of the walking stick of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 3 illustrates a top view of the walking stick of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 4 illustrates a feature identified view of the walking stick of FIG. 1 ; and

FIGS. 5 through 7 illustrate a foot configuration usable on the walking stick of FIG. 1 .

Unless otherwise indicated illustrations in the figures are not necessarily drawn to scale.

The invention and its various embodiments can now be better understood by turning to the following detailed description wherein illustrated embodiments are described. It is to be expressly understood that the illustrated embodiments are set forth as examples and not by way of limitations on the invention as ultimately defined in the claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS AND BEST MODE OF INVENTION

The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the term “and/or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed items. As used herein, the singular forms “a,” “an,” and “the” are intended to include the plural forms as well as the singular forms, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It will be further understood that the terms “comprises” and/or “comprising,” when used in this specification, specify the presence of stated features, steps, operations, elements, and/or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, steps, operations, elements, components, and/or groups thereof.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms (including technical and scientific terms) used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one having ordinary skill in the art to which this invention belongs. It will be further understood that terms, such as those defined in commonly used dictionaries, should be interpreted as having a meaning that is consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant art and the present disclosure and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless expressly so defined herein.

In describing the invention, it will be understood that a number of techniques and steps are disclosed. Each of these has individual benefit and each can also be used in conjunction with one or more, or in some cases all, of the other disclosed techniques. Accordingly, for the sake of clarity, this description will refrain from repeating every possible combination of the individual steps in an unnecessary fashion. Nevertheless, the specification and claims should be read with the understanding that such combinations are entirely within the scope of the invention and the claims.

In the following description, for purposes of explanation, numerous specific details are set forth in order to provide a thorough understanding of the present invention. It will be evident, however, to one skilled in the art that the present invention may be practiced without these specific details.

The present disclosure is to be considered as an exemplification of the invention and is not intended to limit the invention to the specific embodiments illustrated by the figures or description below.

As is well known to those skilled in the art, many careful considerations and compromises typically must be made when designing for the optimal configuration of a commercial implementation of any apparatus, and in particular, the embodiments of the present invention. A commercial implementation in accordance with the spirit and teachings of the present invention may be configured according to the needs of the particular application, whereby any aspect(s), feature(s), function(s), result(s), component(s), approach(es), or step(s) of the teachings related to any described embodiment of the present invention may be suitably omitted, included, adapted, mixed and matched, or improved and/or optimized by those skilled in the art, using their average skills and known techniques, to achieve the desired implementation that addresses the needs of the particular application.

Broadly, embodiments of the present invention provide a mobility aid in the form of a walking stick that can be used in various configurations.

Referring to FIGS. 1 through 3 , the walking stick can have a grip on an upper end thereof, a foot on a lower end thereof, a wrist strap near the grip, and a height adjustment feature to permit height adjustment of the walking stick. The height adjustment feature can take forms as known in the art, such as a twist-lock, a pin and hole adjustment, telescoping members, and the like.

Referring now to FIGS. 4 through 7 , the foot may include an opening for receiving the foot tube therein (from the lower end of the walking stick). The foot can include a slot cut into a forward side and a rearward side thereof. During use, the foot may flex as the crutch is moved forward and rearward, while maintaining maximum contact between the base of the foot with the surface. The foot design can include a central through hole that communicates with a plurality of channels to an outer, bottom periphery of the foot. Such a design can tread water and provide a grip in wet conditions.

Of course, other foot designs may be useable with the walking stick of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4 , aspects of the present invention can provide the following features:

-   -   4 a. Adjustable Hand Grip position,     -   4 b. Springy Hand Grip Body with replaceable pad,     -   4 c. Lower bend in Main Base tube to assure full/flat tread         contact with ground,     -   4 d. New 2-Piece oriented Articulating Foot with Hub         Options—Body shared with ProSwings/Versa,     -   4 e. Molded-in pads in Rocker Sockets, and     -   4 f. Convertible to ProVersa Cuff Crutch

All the features disclosed in this specification, including any accompanying abstract and drawings, may be replaced by alternative features serving the same, equivalent or similar purpose, unless expressly stated otherwise. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each feature disclosed is one example only of a generic series of equivalent or similar features.

Claim elements and steps herein may have been numbered and/or lettered solely as an aid in readability and understanding. Any such numbering and lettering in itself is not intended to and should not be taken to indicate the ordering of elements and/or steps in the claims.

Many alterations and modifications may be made by those having ordinary skill in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. Therefore, it must be understood that the illustrated embodiments have been set forth only for the purposes of examples and that they should not be taken as limiting the invention as defined by the following claims. For example, notwithstanding the fact that the elements of a claim are set forth below in a certain combination, it must be expressly understood that the invention includes other combinations of fewer, more or different ones of the disclosed elements.

The words used in this specification to describe the invention and its various embodiments are to be understood not only in the sense of their commonly defined meanings, but to include by special definition in this specification the generic structure, material or acts of which they represent a single species.

The definitions of the words or elements of the following claims are, therefore, defined in this specification to not only include the combination of elements which are literally set forth. In this sense it is therefore contemplated that an equivalent substitution of two or more elements may be made for any one of the elements in the claims below or that a single element may be substituted for two or more elements in a claim. Although elements may be described above as acting in certain combinations and even initially claimed as such, it is to be expressly understood that one or more elements from a claimed combination can in some cases be excised from the combination and that the claimed combination may be directed to a subcombination or variation of a subcombination.

Insubstantial changes from the claimed subject matter as viewed by a person with ordinary skill in the art, now known or later devised, are expressly contemplated as being equivalently within the scope of the claims. Therefore, obvious substitutions now or later known to one with ordinary skill in the art are defined to be within the scope of the defined elements.

The claims are thus to be understood to include what is specifically illustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, what can be obviously substituted and also what incorporates the essential idea of the invention. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A mobility aid as herein shown and described. 